Days after an eight-month-old infant died after being administered an injection by a tout, the government is planning to amend its order asking the pharmacist to administer injection to the patients in government hospitals.
Due to the order, nurses refuse to administer injections to
patients and as the pharmacists are already hard-pressed, it is left to the lower staff to administer injections and provide first aid. And in this case, the job was apparently passed down to a tout.

Meanwhile, the report in the infant’s death has been sent to DG, health. Sources said action is likely to be taken against the chief medical officer, chief medical superintendent, medical officer and other staff of the Ballia hospital.

Director, medical care, Dr BS Arora, said the health department has also decided to intensify its drive against quacks. The assistance of the state police was being taken to register FIRs against quacks. In a recent order, the Allahabad high court also directed the health department to take strict action against quacks and untrained medical practitioners.

A Health department officer said though 70,000 quacks have been identified in the state, their number is much higher. “Several quacks get protection from politicians as well as local health officials. Mostly, the CMOs turn a blind eye towards this unethical practice,” he said.

He said the fault lies in the rules which are supposed to check this practice. The CMO has to file the FIR against the quack and has to attend every hearing even if he gets posted elsewhere. To save themselves from all the hassle, CMOs don’t take any interest in drive against quacks.